moga

A few weeks back we reviewed TouchFox, an app that allows Windows 8 gamers to play PC games using touch screen virtual controls. Control issues aside, being able to play computer games on a tablet is pretty impressive. But you know what's even more likely to knock someone's socks off? Playing PC games on a phone.

That's just what KinoConsole makes possible. Kinoni, makers of the Kinoni Remote app (no longer published), have just released a gaming-specific version of that app called KinoConsole. By installing both the Windows Phone and PC apps, players can stream and play big-screen games to their phones. KinoConsole provides (iffy) virtual controls and even supports MOGA controllers! The app is free and works with 512 MB phones.

Last year, Windows Phone Central broke the news of a 3D space shooter called Solar Warfare coming to Windows Phone and Windows 8. The game impressed us with its Starfox-like gameplay – we don't really see a lot of games of this type on Windows Phone. We followed up earlier this year with the first look at the actual Windows Phone version of the game.

It has been a long time coming, but Solar Warfare from TegTap is finally available on Windows Phone! The Windows 8 version should follow later this year. The game looks just as sharp as promised, with smooth 3D graphics and vibrant colors. It controls quite smoothly with tilt controls, which is good because the promised MOGA controls don't work yet. It does support 512 MB devices right out of the gate though! See Solar Warfare in action on the Lumia 1520 in our exclusive hands-on video.

We reviewed Purple Cherry X for Windows Phone nearly a month ago. It’s a relatively new GameBoy Advance emulator for Windows Phone that promised to bring support for MOGA controllers in a future update. That future update is now here and we’re sure there are a handful of you looking forward to it. Let’s check out the latest version of Purple Cherry X.

A few days ago, we highlighted three children’s games for Windows Phone that two-man indie developer TegTap brought along to Apps World. All great games for kids, but older gamers in our audience will naturally crave a more substantial gameplay experience. Luckily TegTap is poised to bring just such a game to Windows Phone 8 in the next few weeks…

We’re pleased to bring you this exclusive first look at the Windows Phone version of Solar Warfare (not to be confused with Star Warfare!) from TegTap. A 3D sci-fi shooter with expansive levels, gigantic bosses, and lots of ship upgrades to unlock, Solar Warfare is poised to take shoot-em-up fans by storm. It will even feature MOGA controller support shortly after launch. Head past the break for our hands-on video and preview!

A while back, French developer M.k created a trio of well-loved emulators for Windows Phone 8 based on classic Nintendo platforms: SNES8x, VBA8, and VGBC8. Eventually M.k grew tired of Windows Phone development and surrendered his emulators to a new developer: Duc Le. And since then, Duc has worked tirelessly to add new features to all three emulators such as the much-requested MOGA controller support.

All three of Duc’s emulators have received significant updates recently, enhancing the appearance of their user interfaces, improving menu support while using MOGA controllers, and more. Head past the break for full details!

Last November, gaming giant Rockstar Games surprised us all by announcing that their mobile pot of Playstation 2/Xbox hit Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas would be coming to Windows Phone 8 alongside the iOS and Android versions. A lot of the larger console publishers end up skipping Windows Phone with their mobile ports, so the announcement of a Windows Phone version seemed to prove that our platform has reached a new level of market penetration and acceptance.

On December 11, Rockstar announced that San Andreas would release the following week. But then the release date rolled around for iOS and Android with no Windows Phone version in sight. Rockstar went on to belatedly explain that our version would be coming soon. How soon? Here we are a month later, and San Andreas has arrived at last! But exactly which Windows Phone devices will it run on, and does it support MOGA controllers? And why doesn't it have Xbox features? Find out after the break!

The history of MOGA controller support on Windows Phone has been tumultuous. Microsoft and MOGA manufacturer Power A first announced that the then-upcoming MOGA Pro Controller would be Windows Phone 8 compatible during last year’s GDC. Games would need to specifically support the controller, and only one did at the time: Drift Mania Championship 2. We even played it during the show.

Since then, Power A has mysteriously and illogically refused to acknowledge Windows Phone support on the MOGA packaging and website. But the MOGA Pro Controller does work with Windows Phone, and new MOGA-enabled games continue to trickle out. So here we are at last with our full review, which also includes a tutorial and compatibility guide!

It’s not uncommon for Windows Phone 8 games to require 1 GB of RAM at launch, only to later be updated to run on devices with 512 MB of RAM. This happens because optimizing a game to work with less RAM takes extra time. Games don’t have the phone’s full bank of RAM to work with. On a 512 MB device, they can only access 150 MB. Sometimes a game can be crammed into that space, sometimes not.

Gameloft’s Dungeon Hunter 4 launched without 512 MB RAM support back in December. Yesterday’s update added that support, allowing the game to run on low-memory phones like the Nokia Lumia 520. The update also brought another benefit we didn’t expect: MOGA controller support! It even turns out that the most recent Asphalt 7 (a game that already worked with 512 MB phones) update added MOGA support as well. Exclusive screenshots, hands-on video, and impressions after the break.

There's never a quiet day in the Windows Phone community when we're talking about app updates. Developers enjoy submitting regular releases to the store, introducing new features and functionality, as well as fixing a bug here and there. Today we're covering Snes8x and Freddy. Head on past the break to see what's new in each app.

Love skateboarding? Even if you don't (or are unable to) participate in the sport, you can enjoy yourself on your Windows Phone with Skateboard Party 2 from Ratrod Studio. This is a brand new skateboarding game with gorgeous graphics, addictive gameplay and a lot to offer those who skate for real. Even better? It's co-launching on iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

If you find yourself sat in the daily commute (or anywhere else for that matter) with a handful of minutes to spare, you'll want to grind on past the break to see what this new, hip game is all about.

Windows Phone has been slow to pick up some of mobile gaming’s heavy hitters – though the promise of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas coming next week is certainly a big step in the right direction. Still, many of the most unique and interesting mobile games come from smaller developers instead of the big guys. Windows Phone is making great progress with indie game makers, as evidenced by the developers we interviewed at Casual Connect who are preparing to dip their toes into Microsoft’s mobile waters.

Yesterday we reviewed BigBot Audio Drop, and today we bring news of another just-released indie game for Windows Phone 8: Aztec Antics from Bouncing Ball Limited. Not only does Aztec Antics sport some terrific retro-style pixel art, it also features MOGA controller support! That makes six MOGA-enhanced games on Windows Phone 8 and counting.

Head past the break for our Aztec Antics hands-on video and the developer’s video guide for setting up a MOGA controller with Windows Phone 8!

As November and American Thanksgiving drew to a close, Windows Phone classic gaming fans experienced a bit of a shock. Indie developer M.k’s three Nintendo console emulators SNES8x, VBA8, and VGBC8 all disappeared from the Store. Naturally Windows Phone Central stepped in to reveal why the emulators had been delisted. It turns out that M.k had passed development duties on to a new programmer, who would soon be relisting the emulators.

Less than two weeks later, all three emulators are now back on the Store (yes, we’re a tad late on this). The new developer has big plans for these Nintendo emulators. Learn about them (and a competing GameBoy Advance emulator called GBA8) after the break!

Not long ago, we covered a Sega Genesis emulator for Windows Phone 8 called EmiGens Plus. The Sega Genesis/Mega Drive was a terrific console, but many gamers would still love to play newer console games on their phones. Thanks to EmiGens’ developer Andre Botelho, now they can!

After months in beta, Andre’s Playstation One emulator EmiPSX is now live on the Windows Phone Store. The emulator has fairly limited compatibility and can’t run games at full speed on current Windows Phone 8 hardware, but it’s still a very promising release for Playstation emulation fans. Head past the break for full review with video!

Street Outlaws has arrived in the Windows Phone 8 store with fantastic graphics, challenging game play and MOGA Pro support.

Drift Mania: Street Outlaws, the official gaming title, is a racing game focused on the art of drifting. You race across a wide variety of venues ranging from the Swiss Alps to the streets of San Francisco. Thirteen tracks in all to master, sixty achievements to conquer, and forty performance upgrades to unlock gives Street Outlaws plenty of gaming to keep you busy.

Not long ago, Spectral Souls became the second Windows Phone 8 game with MOGA Pro Controller support. More games will surely follow, though not at the pace gamers would probably like. MOGA manufacturer Power A’s reluctance to officially acknowledge Windows Phone 8 in product packaging and marketing materials has naturally led to a tepid response from Windows Phone developers, including the all-important Gameloft.

I’ve always maintained that emulators are where the MOGA Pro Controller has the most potential on Windows Phone 8. Sadly, none of the Nintendo or Sega emulators support it just yet. But we recently learned about one that does: EMU7800 from Mike Murphy. An Atari 7800 and 2600 emulator isn’t the most exciting use for a $50 controller add-on, but it’s a start!

EMU7800 itself is a promising emulator for both Windows Phone 7 and 8, though its respect for copyright law and several rough edges need improvement. Head past the break for our full impressions!

The story of MOGA Pro Controller support for Windows Phone 8 has consisted of little else other than disappointment in the months following its March announcement. Microsoft touted Windows Phone 8’s support for the peripheral at the Game Developer Conference, where we actually played Drift Mania Championship 2 using the controller.

Somehow, the MOGA-enabled version of the game didn’t become available until June, several months after the controller arrived in stores. And since then, exactly zero Windows Phone games and emulators have included MOGA support. It’s like the March announcement was just a cruel joke.

The cruelty of that joke has just diminished, because a second game now supports the controller! Spectral Souls, the massive strategy RPG from HyperDevBox has been updated to work with the MOGA Pro Controller. We also know of at least one other app that will definitely support it upon release. Details after the break!

When Microsoft and Power A announced that the MOGA Pro Controller gaming accessory would support Windows Phone during GDC 2013 back in March, serious gamers were understandably excited by the news. Windows Phone 8’s improved Bluetooth accessory support was finally going to receive some of the accessory love that Windows Phone 7 always lacked.

To show off that support during GDC, Microsoft and its partners already had the indie game Drift Mania Championship 2 up and running on the show floor. Apparently it took Ratrod Studio less than a day to integrate that support into their game. But when the MOGA Pro Controller actually launched at the end of April, the game’s controller support was nowhere to be found. Windows Phone gamers who bought the controller had nothing to play it with.

Well, almost two months after the MOGA Pro Controller launched (and three months since GDC), Drift Mania Championship 2 has finally received the controller compatibility update!

Over the weekend, we wrapped up our ‘How Microsoft can save Xbox games on Windows Phone’ series with a Microsoft video interview that we’d been saving for just such an occasion. That video focused exclusively on the Xbox Windows Phone issues raised in our editorial series, but it didn't exactly put our concerns to rest. All we Xbox enthusiasts can do is keep pushing the editorials and issues with Microsoft until finally the right people realize the need for improvement and start effecting changes.

And while many of those issues have yet to be resolved, I’d be hard-pressed to claim that Windows Phone gaming has not improved since the debut of Windows Phone 8. Game development is easier than ever, and many companies who ignored Windows Phone 8 are now onboard for 8. When we sat down to talk with Microsoft's Larry Lieberman, Senior Product Manager and Casey McGee, Senior Marketing Manager, our first subject of business was all those recent advances that make Windows Phone gaming better than ever.

Head past the break to learn just how things are looking up and see the second part of our video interview!

A lot of you love mobile games. And Windows Phone doesn't exactly have a shortage of great games to keep you occupied for hours and hours. Mobile gaming on a phone hasn't always been this awesome, touchscreens really took it to another level. They aren't without their faults though and some games work best with tactile controls, something like a gamepad. Is there one for Windows Phone? Yes, MOGA.

One of the biggest surprises coming out of GDC 2013 for me was undoubtedly PowerA’s announcement that its MOGA Bluetooth controller SDK would be coming to Windows Phone. On iOS and Android, videogame controller accessories are becoming increasingly popular with core gaming fans. Such peripherals can add more precise control and a console-like experience to smartphones. Sure, they can impact portability but they’re great at home and other places where you’d be playing for an extended length of time.

Windows Phone has always been a bit behind on peripheral support. We don’t have a Bluetooth keyboard, for instance. But Windows Phone 8 does add the ability for apps to communicate with Bluetooth. That ability now makes it possible for hardware add-ons like the MOGA Pro Controller to work with Windows Phone 8 games!

Head past the break for full details on the MOGA Pro Controller and a hands-on video.